Watch CBS News

How Greenhouse Gases Both Maintain & Increase Earth's Temperature

DENVER (CBS4) - According to NASA and NOAA, 2014 was the warmest year on Earth since modern records began in 1880.

It's yet another year in what has been a trend of warming temperatures since the turn of the century.

But to understand climate change and the concept of global warming you have to first understand how the Earth maintains its temperature.

gh
The greenhouse effect helps Earth maintain a comfortable temperature. (credit: CBS)

Life as we know it is made possible by the Greenhouse Effect.

Without it our planet would be a cold and barren wasteland.

The greenhouse effect is a layer of naturally occurring greenhouse gases found high in the atmosphere.

These gases act like a blanket by trapping incoming and outgoing heat, which gives Earth an annual average temperature in the upper 50s.

But the concentrations of greenhouse gases are changing, specifically, carbon dioxide.

And scientists say the cause is human activity.

Carbon dioxide is measured at several places on Earth, including Alaska, California, Samoa and the South Pole.

All of the data shows that carbon dioxide levels are on the rise.

gh2
Carbon dioxide levels measured high atop of Hawaii's Mauna Loa. (credit: CBS)

One of the most alarming monitoring sites is located high atop of Hawaii's Mauna Loa.

Carbon dioxide levels there have risen roughly 25 percent since the late 1950s.

Mauna Loa was chosen by Charles David Keeling for its location far away from any major body of land with a prevailing wind off the open ocean.

Air flowing across the mountain is largely unaffected by things like human activity.

And while Mauna Loa is an active volcano, the carbon dioxide sensors are located upwind from the volcano's vents, so the data is not impacted.

Extensive research has shown that carbon dioxide levels have changed many times over the last 800 thousand years, but nothing compares to the spike in recent history.

gh3
(credit: NOAA)

In the spring of 2015 a milestone was set when the global average topped 400 parts per million.

It's a level that far exceeds anything measured in history.

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.